Featherlite Trailers announced  last week that the business will implement additional temporary plant shutdowns that will leave almost all hourly production employees without work for nine days.
    The additional plant shutdown periods will include the week of Oct. 6 through Oct. 10, Friday, Oct. 31 and Nov. 24 through Nov. 28 (Nov. 27 and Nov. 28 were already scheduled as holidays). The shutdowns are in addition to a Christmas week shutdown, Dec. 22-26, the business announced earlier.
    “The continued downturn in the economy again requires balancing production with market demands,” reads a notice concerning the shutdowns that employees received Sept. 8, that is signed by Rick Ruden, director of human resources at Featherlite.
    The company has enforced a total of three weeks of temporary production shutdowns so far this year prior to the most recent nine days.
    “These shutdowns affect almost all hourly production employees, but there may be a need to work in select areas of the plant,” said Nicole Ausdemore, public relations and advertising specialist at Featherlite.
    Employees have the option of using available paid time off, including vacation and personal days during the shutdowns. The business will also help employees file for unemployment compensation through Iowa Workforce Development, if they choose to.
    Lori Ihns, a labor/welder at Featherlite for the past 14 years, said this time of year is usually busy at the plant, typically resulting in a great amount of overtime for production employees. The business has had some short temporary shutdowns during her 14 years of employment, but never as many as will take place this year, Ihns said.
    “All the years I’ve been there, this is the worst it’s been,” Ihns said. “It freaks me out, but at least I have a job.”
   Although Ihns admits the situation is scary, she appreciates that Featherlite officials are trying to avoid making permanent lay offs.
   “They’re trying to do the best they can to keep everyone working without having a full lay off,” Ihns said.
    A spouse of an 18-year production employee at Featherlite is uneasy about the company’s recent shutdowns.
    “It’s scary because there’s been so many of them,” said the woman, who wished to remain anonymous. “This is the worst that it’s been.”
    The mother of two said she worries about what would happen to Cresco if a large employer such as Featherlite were to make permanent lay offs.
    “We don’t know if they’re going to close,” she said. “We don’t want to have to move from Cresco.”
    Eric Clement, Vice President of Sales and Marketing and General Manager at Featherlite, did not immediately return a call Monday.